Journal 105
Thursday - 12-9-10
Class with Russians
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It was a disappointing, and slightly embarrassing night at the dance studio -- but with some bright spots at the end, thanks to the kids:
I was looking forward to practice with my partner tonight; after not seeing him since Monday's lesson. I was to be disappointed again.
He showed up more than 20 min late, if you say that he said he was going to show at 7:30; he was almost an hour late, if you say he was going to show at 7. [He had told me he would be there sometime between those to times.]
So, in theory, he at least showed up at 8, and we had the time to practice for two hours. Instead, he was only there for an hour and some change. And we didn't even practice for a whole hour, I don't think. (There was a fair amount of time spent, as usual, standing around; me waiting for him to decide he was ready to start dancing; me waiting for him to stop staring at/watch God knows whom or what.)
Then, I guess he was tired, and he decided to go home early.
That was the disappointing part of the evening.
The embarrassing part happened earlier, before Roma showed up.
Larissa, one of the head trainers of the studio (former Amateur and National champion of Russia, etc.), the reason for my being allowed to dance there, and the one who found Roma for me, came up to me -- in the middle of one of her lessons!! -- because she saw me practicing, alone, *again.*
She actually asked me, "Why are you all alone? Where is your partner? I've only seen you these last few days."
And it's true. I've basically been in the studio for about 4 hours every day since Monday, including Monday.
And Roma won't be there tomorrow, again. *Maybe* he will be there on Saturday.
So, that's all the depressing stuff with dance from today.
*****
On the bright side, however!!
Nikita about melted my heart, when he came up to me, sat down, and heaved an, "I'm so tired!" type of sigh (as only 12 year old boys can do), and when I scratched his back as he sat down, he just automatically scooted closer to me, and put his head on my shoulder/upper chest.
It was pretty much adorable. *Seriously* adorable. There were major warm and fuzzies.
I'm glad I have no, "You must make babies!" biological clock; because if I did, that probably would have kicked it.
*****
Later on, some cha cha version of "Mambo Italiano" played; and I said, "This reminds me of my old partner -- I have a picture of him…"
(A group of four of the little kids were around: Nikita and Elya, and Sasha and Angelina.)
And of course, they were all like, "Let us see!!!"
But then I had to step out; so I left my iPhone with them, so they could look at the picture. As I suspected they might, they went through my other pictures -- and found the
falconry ones.
So when I came back, they were all just breathless with questions! Such as:
"Is this your bird?!?!"
"You've *held* one of those birds?!"
"Is that your grandpa?" (About the photos with my falconry master in them.)
"Is that an Owl?" (A picture of me with a Great Horned Owl on my arm.)
"What's this one??" (A Red-Tailed Hawk)
Thus, they found out I've done some work with falconry.
*****
Thanks to all that, now I'm even more convinced that they think I'm one of the coolest people who has ever lived.
I would still KILL to dance like they do (in certain aspects), more importantly, how I know that they will dance someday (because they're being raised with it) -- and yet, they think I'm just awesome.
Knowing that helps me hold my head up at the end of the day, some days.
-- As a note on that, and not to be over-estimating the connection I have with any of these kids, but I think it would be really cool if I could manage to keep a connection with them as they are growing up. In something like a mentor/"older sibling" capacity. [That's what it feels like I have with them right now anyway; the, "my crazy, foreign relative" feel.]
I've been lucky enough to have had mentors in my life (like my falconry master, for instance), and I just think it would be cool to potentially be in that situation, with the international twist on it.
This idea maybe also stems from the fact that I have am fortunate to have met some very sweet little kids, in a place where many people seem... Well, not so nice sometimes.
(That statement does not include any of the people I've talked about when relating encounters that I've been blessed to have here in this city. If I were do that, it would be like including every single outlier from an experiment's data stream! XD )
Unfortunately, that idea of being a good mentor figure for these kids will probably only truly be feasible if I wind up moving here to work, etc. Just given the age that they are at -- I highly doubt that, if I should have to leave for good in May, that we would stay in touch. Though I would certainly love to keep up with how they are doing, and I would definitely be willing to welcome them to the US if they ever wanted to travel there. (Some of them have already told me that they want to come and visit!)
***********
Back at home, I'm up far too late for my own good, but that's yielded the following gems:
1. A friend dubbing me, "First Name / Middle Name / McBootypants / Cook."
[For any of you who know me in person, you will understand the reference to what is arguably one of my best assets.]
2. My discovering the song from the Russian cartoon, "Nu Pogodi!" 's first episode, which is only featured for maybe 10 seconds, only a whistling of the tune, at that -- and yet, I fell completely in love with it, when I heard it, 2-3 years ago, now.
It is called, "Pesnya O Druge" (Song About A Friend), and the version I loved is by Vladimir Vysotsky. ["Песня О Друге" - Владимир Высотский]
With that feat of music-finding accomplished, however, now it's time for bed -- at almost 4 AM…
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